


Ships in the Night

by Neverever



Category: Iron Man Noir, Marvel 616
Genre: Attraction, M/M, Pre-Slash, Secret Identity, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-09-30 15:46:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20449586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neverever/pseuds/Neverever
Summary: During a mission with the Howling Commandos, Tony finds Captain America intriguing but has no idea who's under the mask.





	Ships in the Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fictionforlife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionforlife/gifts).

> Written as treat for Fictionforlife in the 2019 Captain American-Iron Man Midyear Challenge. I hope you like it!
> 
> The story was inspired by two different pieces which can be found [here](https://ireallyshouldbedrawing.tumblr.com/post/173218609466/ireallyshouldbedrawing-nature-is-great), [here](https://66.media.tumblr.com/e5794b3814ad7f9e188293aaa02a7adf/tumblr_orpgderHu11rpr5kno1_1280.jpg), [here](https://66.media.tumblr.com/510a44a27280de81a00874fb68199655/tumblr_orpgderHu11rpr5kno2_1280.jpg), [here](https://ireallyshouldbedrawing.tumblr.com/post/173252460730/ireallyshouldbedrawing-this-things-final), [here](https://66.media.tumblr.com/39679529f51906cd94dc947317627d94/tumblr_p303vb1C001rpr5kno2_1280.jpg), and [here](https://66.media.tumblr.com/b2369e4fa535da7fe293b94119208329/tumblr_p303vb1C001rpr5kno1_1280.jpg).

Fury had promised a real booze-up to celebrate rescuing King Azzuri from Baron Strucker’s ambush. Tony preferred to celebrate not covered in blood and powder burns so he cleaned up the best he could in his tent. 

While he was shaving, it struck him that in the two weeks with the Howling Commandos and Captain America, that he hadn’t once seen Cap without his cowl or called by an actual name. ‘Cap’ didn’t count.

Tony had been cooling his heels in New York, all his plans disrupted by the war. Phillips had offered him a chance to get back into the field if he’d help with a special mission. Tony met up with Cap, Fury and his team in Nairobi on a mission to the border of the mythical Wakanda. He’d been to the border before chasing artifacts. That story ended up as one of the best-selling issues of Marvels. Phillips even used the map Tony drew in the mission planning. 

And Fury appreciated the help. They liked the same whiskey. Tony was finally where he felt most alive. The Howlies were fun as hell, yet no one told him why a special ops team and a man dressed like the flag were in an eastern African rainforest heading towards a mythical land. Fury and Cap, both intelligent rational men, acted like Wakanda was real.

Tony found Captain America fascinating, for the sharp mind, curiosity and athleticism. But he had no idea what the man looked like under the uniform. 

Cap was first up in the morning, last to turn in, dressed in his tent and kept his identity hidden at all times. As far as Tony could tell, the Howlies had no idea either. Maybe Fury did, he had the soul of a spy and special operative.

Outside Tony’s tent, Fury snapped, “What the hell happened to Captain America and his star-spangled ass?”

Cohen said, “He said he’d catch up -- heard something, I think.”

Fury grumbled, “He’s the right guy to find a pile of Nazis in this god-forsaken jungle. But screw it, we aren’t going to wait dinner and booze on him.”

Tony stood in the doorway of his tent and saw several of the Commandos put together a makeshift table and chairs while Manelli broke out the cards for poker. Ralston was rigging up lights. That’s when Cap pulled up, looking worse for wear.

Chomping his cigar, Fury said, “What the hell happened to you?”

Despite the mud and dirt, Cap was still a gorgeous sight, sitting astride his motorcycle completely at ease, arms over the handle, joking with Dugan. Tony could stare at him for hours, trying to figure out exactly who Captain America was outside the uniform. If that even mattered.

“Bike tripped over a root,” Cap replied with a shrug.

“Riiiiight,” Fury replied. “Waterfall’s thataway.”

“I’ll get cleaned up,” Cap said. He swung a strong leg up and over the motorcycle. Passing by Tony, Cap nodded at him with a smile, “Mr. Stark.”

“Captain."

By then, Cap had disappeared into his tent. And Tony found that he had lost his suspenders somewhere. He probably left them back at the waterfall when he took his bath. 

He headed back to the waterfall. He had only brought the one pair and had an image to maintain. He pushed back the leaves and branches on the trail to the waterfall that the Commandos had discovered shortly after they first pitched camp.

He stopped when he heard splashing. Standing still was his best defense in case Cap had left any Nazis roaming about. He likely hadn’t, because Tony had learned that Cap was excellent at his job. But still.

Tony shifted further ahead and peered through a clear spot in the foliage. A tall, well-built, blond man was taking a shower under the waterfall, water running in riverlets over his very naked body.

There were no words to describe the angel descended to earth in front of him. Tony felt his knees weaken but was compelled to push forward. The man shook his head and opened his eyes to see the thunderstruck Tony Stark staring right at him. 

Beautiful blue eyes, Tony thought, before the man scrambled for cover.

“Could you, um, leave?” the man said politely, from behind the bushes, in a voice very similar to Captain America’s..

Oh, because that was Captain America. Had to be.

“Just getting my suspenders,” Tony explained as he snatched them from the edge of the pool. “Leaving now ….”

Tony was never going to forget what he saw in the pool. When he stumbled back into camp, Fury shoved a glass into his hand. “This Wakandan hooch is fantastic,” Fury said.

Not long after, Cap arrived, dressed once again in uniform, not a trace of the man underneath, except the same eyes. He took the glass offered by Fury and sat next to Tony. 

“Sorry,” Tony offered. 

Cap’s jaw twitched. “Bound to happen,” he replied.

“If it would help, I could tell you embarrassing stories from my explorations.”

That brought a smile to Cap’s face. “I would love to hear any story, not just the embarrassing ones.”

“Yeah, Stark. Cap’s a big fan of the Marvels rag. I’m surprised you didn’t catch him reading an dog-eared issue or two,” Fury said as he watched the Howlies’ poker game.

“Wish I’d known earlier. Now that we’ve broken the ice -- I have lots of stories about my last expedition.”

“Really?” Cap asked brightly. “I just finished that issue --”

“Great. I’ll leave you two fan boys to fawn over Stark’s magazine,” Fury grumbled as he moved closer to the boisterous poker game

Cap winked at Tony. “We’re better off without him.” He clinked his glass with Tony’s. “We’ve got all night -- tell me everything.”

~~~~~

When Tony woke late the next morning, the rest of the camp had disappeared, except for a neat pile of wood, a jeep and one Captain America, cooking breakfast over a fire. This time he wasn’t wearing the cowl. Tony would recognize those beautiful blue eyes anywhere.

“What happened?” Tony asked.

“New mission came over the radio last night,” Cap replied. “Good thing Fury likes you or you’d be hoofing it back to Azzuri for a ride.” He offered a plate of bacon and eggs to Tony, the last of the food from Azzuri. 

Tony sat down cross-legged next to Cap. “You wouldn’t have left me behind.”

Cap smiled. “No, I wouldn’t have. I have a different mission, so I told Fury I’d drop you off in Nairobi.”

“Food’s good.”

“Sorry we didn’t have potatoes for hash -- I’m an expert in peeling ‘em.”

Tony snorted. “You have a name other than Captain America?”

“Uncle Sam.”

“For some reason, I don’t buy it.”

Cap ate his breakfast. “Rogers, Steve Rogers. That’s classified, super top secret, only Phillips and Roosevelt are supposed to know. And Bucky, but that’s a different story.” 

“Oh. Fury didn’t figure it out.”

“He didn’t want to. Fury only cares if you want to kill Nazis. I was designed to kill Nazis, so we work well together.”

Steve stood up and threw dirt on the fire to kill it. “We should get going. Let’s get you packed up.”

As they took down the tent, Tony made his pitch. “You know, if you’re looking for a job, we could use a man like you working for Marvels. You’re a born adventurer, just like me. There are still a lot of secret places waiting to be explored and dangerous artifacts to find.” 

Steve shook his head. “You’re too late -- if you’d asked me a year ago ….. I read the Marvels every night for years, followed your adventures. I’d have jumped at the chance.”

“Where would I have found you?”

“New York. I was different then.” They loaded up the jeep. 

“We all were,” Tony replied. “The war changed everything. Now Marvels is all about Army news and maps of Europe, anything we can do to stay afloat. Wait a minute, I bet we could publish Captain America comics -- that’d make a buck or two for the magazine.”

“You’d have to talk to my bosses about that.”

“Or not. Let ‘em sue me. I’ve got the lawyers.”

They went around the camp clearing the remains of the camp. Steve threw on a trenchcoat. He wore it to hide the uniform, not like Tony, who wore one to keep off the dust. 

As they pulled out on the way to Nairobi, Steve said, “You’re a handy man to have around, Tony. Maybe you could join the Commandos. The Army would find work for you.”

Tony had thought about it once or twice. “I’m not much of a soldier, but I plan to look Phillips up when I get to London.”

Steve drove fast through the twisty jungle road, fearless of the risk to life and limb. They talked about the Marvels, Tony’s expeditions, where Tony wanted to travel next, Steve’s impressions of London. All safe subjects, avoiding the riskier ones -- where Steve was going next, his mysterious past, whether Steve ever consider Tony as more than a friend?

They weren’t far from Nairobi when Steve pulled over near an abandoned farm. “This is where we part company. You can take the jeep to the city -- someone will pick it up.”

Steve’s smile wasn’t as bright as before as he stood beside the passenger side of the jeep. His hair glowed with the sun behind him and the white star glinted on his chest. A brief glimpse of Steve that Tony burned into his memory forever -- before Steve pulled on the cowl and was purely Captain America again. 

Tony had known Steve for two weeks and would have given anything to meet the man again, outside the uniform.

“We’ll meet again,” Tony insisted.

“Soon, hopefully,” Steve replied. 

He stepped away from the jeep and set off toward the abandoned farm buildings barely visible above the treeline. Heading off to adventures against the Nazis that Tony’s magazine would publish and make famous far and wide.


End file.
